Kazakhstan national carrier Air Astana has been presented with Air Transport World’s Airline Market Leadership award for 2015, becoming the first ATW Industry Award winner from Central Asia and the CIS.
Air Astana launched regular flights in 2002 and now operates 60 international and domestic routes from its hubs in Astana, Almaty and Atyrau.
A joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund Samruk Kazyna and BAE Systems, Air Astana became the first carrier within CIS and Eastern Europe to attain a four-star rating from Skytrax and was also named Best Airline in Central Asia and India for the past three years.
Since 2010, the airline has adopted an ‘extended home market’ strategy which connects its focus cities to underserved regional markets in Central Asia, southern Russia and the Caucasus.
As a result, travelling distances from CIS to Asia have been cut by up to 60% by removing the need to backtrack via other hub cities outside the region.
The airline also earlier this month launched a second route to Bangkok, with twice-weekly flights to from Astana.
